Game apparatus



Jan. 7, 1936. MccLELLAN "2,026,902

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 51, 1955 Herbefi M Clellan Q5: INVI-INTOR.

' 20 4a HIS ATTORNEYS. 45

Iwmm m-W/J/m 46 44 47 Patented Jan. 7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEto Exhibit Supply Co corporation of Illinois Application January 31 7Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatuswhich is relatively simple and inexpensive'in construction and eflicientin use.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a game apparatus, ofthe so-called pin and marble game type, the combination of; a memberproviding a ball playing surface having spaced ball playing areasthereon; means for propelling balls onto said playing surface so thatthey will normally enter into one of said playing areas; and meansactuated by balls entering the said one of said playing areas to directballs from said propelling means into the other of the said playingareas.

An additional object of the invention is to provide, in a gameapparatus, of the so-called pin and marble game type, the combinationof; a member providing an inclined ball playing surface having an upperball playing area and a lower ball playing area thereon spaced orseparated from each other; means for propelling balls onto said playingsurface so that they will normally enter the said upper one of saidplaying areas; and means actuated by balls entering the said upper oneof said playing areas to direct balls from the said propelling meansinto the said lower one of said playing areas.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will best be understood by ref erence to the accompanyingdrawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a game apparatus embodying a preferred form ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal, vertical sectional view of thesame;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the new device;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

A game apparatus embodying a preferred form I of the invention isillustrated in the drawing, is therein generally indicated at I0, andcomprises a cabinet II in which is arranged an inclined playing board 2I, which includes two playing areas or surfaces I2 and I3 which areseparated from each other by a wall or portion I4 which extendstransversely across the cabinet II, relative to the axis of the'same,between the upper and lower ends thereof.- r

Provided in the cabinet I I, and extending submpany, Chicago, 111., a

, 1935, Serial No. 4,259

stantially parallel to one longitudinal or side edge I4 thereof, is aramp or runway I5 and mounted in the lower end wall I6 of the cabinet isa propelling device or plunger H by means of which balls may bepropelled, one at a time, up 5 the ramp I5 into or onto the upperplaying area or surface I2; or, as will be explained hereinafter, intoor onto the lower area or playing surface I3; the played balls beingadapted to enter into ball exit or scoring openings I8 which are formedin 10 the inclined playing board 2 I, in the upper playing area I2, orinto ball exit orrscoring openings I9, which are formed in the inclinedplaying board 2 I,

in the lower playing area I3, and the balls are temporarily retained inthese ball exit or scoring 15 openings I8 and I9 by means of aballretaining member or panel 20 which is slidably mounted in thecabinet II below the inclined playing board 2|; the sliding panel 2|being provided with ball exit openings 48 which are normally disposedout of registration with the ball exit openings l8 and I9 in theinclined playing board 2|, as is well understood in the art.

The ramp or runway I5 opens at its upper end (Fig. 1) into the upperarea I2 and pivotally mounted upon the inclined playing board 2|, at themouth or upper end of the ramp i5 is an arm or gate 23; this arm or gate23 being mounted upon a shaft or pin 22 which projects verticallythrough the inclined playing board 2|.

Attached to the vertical pin or shaft 22, below the inclined playingboard 2|, is a laterally extending arm 24 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) and thisarm 24 is engageable with a depending extension 53 of an arm 25 of apawl 26, the pawl 26 being pivotally mounted as at 21, below theinclined playing board 2 I.

The pawl 26 has oppositely extending arms 28 and 29 and these arms areengageable, at diiferent times, with the teeth of a ratchet 30; theratchet 30 being pivotally mounted as at 3|, below the inclined playingboard 2|.

Attached to the arm 29 of the pawl 26 so as normally to urge the latterin a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 2) is a spring 5|, and attached toa depending arm 32 of the ratchet 35, so as to urge the latter in acounterclockwise direction, (Fig. 3) is a spring 52. V

The depending extension or arm 32 of the ratchet 30 is engageable withan arm 33'of a Pivotally mounted on the lower or bottom side of themember 34, as at 36, is a. trip member 31.

One end portion 54 of the trip member 36 is engageable with a dependingflange or extension 38 of the member 34, and the other end portion 55 ofthe trip member 31 is engageable with a depending flange or extension 39of a member 40 which is pivotally mounted between its ends upon avertical shaft or pin 4| which extends through the inclined playingboard 2I.

Pivotally mounted upon the shaft 4I, upon the upper side of the inclinedplaying board 2I, and in a runway 43 which provides communicationbetween the lower playing area I3 and the ramp or runway I5, is a balldeflecting member or gate which is movable into and out of the ball rampor runway I5, that is from full to dotted line position, Fig. 1, andvice versa, so as to open and close the inlet or runway 43 to the lowerplaying area I3.

Attached to and depending from the ballreleasing member or sliding panel20, are arms and 45 (Fig. 5) which are engageable, respectively, withlaterally extending arms 46 and 41 of the members 40 and 34,respectively.

Mounted in the lower end wall I6 of the cabinet Ii is a coin slide 49which is engageable at its inner end with the sliding panel 20, at thelower end or edge of the latter, so as to move the same intoball-releasing position (left to right, Fig. 1, right to left, Fig. 5).

Operation The gate or ball deflector 42 and the gate or arm 23 arenormally disposed as in full lines, Fig. 1, so that a ball propelled upthe ramp I5, by the propeller or plunger I'I, will pass the closed gateor deflector 42 and will continue on up the ramp or runway I5, past thegate 42, and will strike against the gate or arm 23 and pivot the latter(counterclockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 1), thusallowing the played ball to pass from the ramp I5 into the upper playingarea I2, whereupon it may gravitate over the inclined playing board 2Iand enter into one of the ball exit or scoring openings I8 or enter intoone of the out openings 59, which are provided in the inclined playingboard 2I within the upper playing area I2.

When a played ball strikes the arm 23 and pivots the latter(counterclockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 1, or fromdotted to full line position, Fig. 3), this motion of the arm 23 and itssupporting shaft 22 pivots the arm 24, which is carried by the shaft 22,into engagement with the depending extension 53 of the arm 25 of the'pawl 26 thereby pivoting the pawl 26 (clockwise, Fig. 4) against theaction of spring 5I which normally acts upon the pawl 26 to urge the arm28 thereof into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 30. Thismovement of the pawl 26 moves the arm 28 thereof, against the action ofthe spring 5|, out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 30,whereupon the spring 52 pivots the ratchet 30 (counterclockwise, Fig. 4)a distance equal. to the circumferential distance between two of theteeth on the ratchet 30. The spring 5I, then again urges the pawl 26 (ina counterclockwise direction, Fig. 4), so as to reengage the arm 28thereof with the teeth of the ratchet 30.

The foregoing movement of the ratchet 30 (clockwise, Fig. 4,counterclockwise, Fig. 3) causes the depending arm or extension 32thereof to engage the arm 33 of the member 34, thereby pivoting themember 34. (in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 3). This movementof the member 34 causes the depending arm or extension 38 thereof toengage the trip member 31, thereby pivoting the trip member 31 in aclockwise direction (Fig. 3). the trip member 31 releases the endportion 55 thereof from engagement with the depending extension 39 ofthe member 40, whereupon the tensioned spring 53 pivots the member 49and its supporting shaft 4I (in a clockwise direction, 1 from full todotted line position, Fig. 1), and this movement of the shaft 4I pivotsthe ball deflector or gate 42 carried thereby (in a counterclockwisedirection, from full to dotted lines, Fig. 1), thus projecting the gate42 across the 1 lower end portion of the ramp I5 and thereby opening theinlet or runway 43 to the lower playing area I3.

Consequently, when the gate 42 is thus positioned, (as in dotted lines,Fig. l) a ball pro- 2 pelled up theramp I5 by the propeller I! will bedeflected by the gate 42 into the lower area or playing surface I3,whereupon it may gravitate over the inclined playing board 2| into oneof the ball exit scoring openings I9 or into the opening 2 56 which isprovided in the inclined playing board 2I at the lower end of theplaying area I3, and balls entering these openings I9 or 56, will betemporarily held therein by the ball-releasing member 20 until such timeas the slidable panel or ball-releasing member 20 is moved (left toright, Fig. 1, right to left, Fig. 5), by operation of the coin slide 49as will now be explained.

This movement of the ball-releasing member 20 is effected by theoperation of the coin slide 3 49 (left to right, Fig. 1), the inner endof the coin slide 49 engaging the lower end or edge of theball-releasing member 20 (Fig. 1). During this movement of the slidingpanel 20 (right to left, Fig. 5, left to right, Fig. 3) the depending 4arms or extensions 44 and 45 thereon engage the arms 46 and 41,respectively, of the members 40 and 34, respectively, thereby pivotingthe members 40 and 34 (from dotted to full line positions, Fig. 3), andthereby pivoting the gate or ball deflector 4 42 (clockwise, from dottedto full line position, Fig. 1) into closed position. During thismovement of the members 40 and 34 the spring 53 acts upon the latchmember 31 to pivot the same (counterclockwise, from dotted to full lineposition, Fig. 3) thereby moving the end portion 55 of the latch member3'! into latching engagement with the depending arm or extension 39 ofthe gate-operating member 40, thereby latching the ball-deflector orgate 42 in closed position (as in full lines, 5 Figs. 1 and 2).

The foregoing motion of the member 34 (counterclockwise, from dotted tofull line position, Fig. 3) also causes the end portion 33 thereof toengage the arm or extension 32 of the ratchet 6 36, thereby pivoting theratchet 30 (from dotted to full line position, clockwise Fig. 3,counterclockwise, Fig. 4), against the action of the spring 52,whereupon the spring 5| acts upon the pawl 26 to pivot the same(counterclockwise, 6 Fig. 4) so as to reengage the arm 23 thereof withthe ratchet 30. During this movement of the pawl 26 the dependingextension 53 of the arm 25 thereof engages the arm 24 and thereby pivotsthe latter and the gate 23 (counterclockwise, 7 from full to dotted lineposition, Fig. 1, counterclockwise, from dotted to full line position,Fig. 4) so as to open the outlet from the ramp I5 into the upper playingarea I2.

While I have illustrated and described. the pre- V The foregoingmovement of 5 ierred form of construction for carrying my invention intoeffect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to belimited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire toavail myself of such variations and modifications as come within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of a member providing a playingsurface having spaced ball playing areas thereon; means for propellingballs onto said playing surface so that they will normally enter intoone of said playing areas; and means automatically actuated by ballsentering the said one of said playing areas, after a predeterminednumber of balls have en-. tered the same, for directing subsequentlyplayed balls from said propelling means into the other of said playingareas.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a member providing aninclined ball playing surface having an upper ball playing area and alower ball playing area thereon; means for propelling balls onto saidplaying surface so that they will normally enter into the said upper oneof said playing areas; and means automatically actuated by ballsentering the said upper one of said playing areas after a predeterminednumber of balls have entered the same, for directing subsequently playedballs from said propelling means into the said lower one of said playingareas.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet including aninclined playing board having spaced upper and lower ball-playing areasthereon; a ramp or runway extending along one edge of said inclinedplaying board for conducting balls at different times into each of saidplaying areas; means for propelling balls one at a time along said rampor runway so that they will normally enter into the upper one of saidplaying areas; and means including a device automatically actuated byballs entering the said upper one of said playing areas after apredetermined number of balls have entered the same from said ramp orrunway for deflecting subsequently played balls from said ramp or runwayinto the lower one of said playing areas.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including aninclined playing board having spaced upper and lower ball-playing areasthereon and said inclined playing board having ball exit openings formedtherein in each of said playing areas; a ramp or runway extending alongone edge of said inclined playing board for conducting balls atdifferent times into each of said playing areas; means for propellingballs one at a time along said ramp or runway so that they will normallyenter into the upper one of said playing areas and gravitate there-overinto the said ball exit openings provided' therein; means including adevice actuated by balls entering the said upper one of said playingareas from said ramp or runway for deflecting balls from said ramps orrunway into the said lower one of said playing areas so that they maygravitate thereover and enter into the said ball exit openings providedtherein; means arranged below said inclined playing board fortemporarily retaining therein balls which enter into said ball exitopenings; means for moving said third-named means into position torelease balls from said exit openings; and means coacting with saidthird-named or ball-retaining means when the latter is moved intoball-releasing position to reset said secondnamed or ball-deflectingmeans into its initial position so as to prevent balls propelled alongsaid ramp or runway from entering into the lower one of said playingareas.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a memberproviding a ball playing surface including spaced ball-playing areas andsaid member having ball exit openings formed therein in each of saidplaying areas; means for propelling balls onto said playing surfacesothat they will normally enter into one of said playing areas and sothat they may enter into the said ball exit openings in the said one ofsaid playing areas; means including a device actuated by balls propelledinto the said one of said ball-playing areas for directing ballssubsequently propelled by said propelling means onto said playingsurface into the other of said playing areas; and means for resettingsaid secondnamed' means into its initial position including a memberarranged below said playing surface for temporarily retaining thereinballs which enter into said ball exit openings.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a memberproviding a ball playing surface including spaced ball-playing areas andsaid member having ball exit openings formed therein in each of saidplaying areas; means for propelling balls onto said playing surface sothat they will normally enter into one of said playing areas and so thatthey may enter into the said ball exit openings in the said one of saidplaying areas; means including a device actuated by balls propelled intothe said one of said ball-playing areas, after a predetermined number ofballs have entered the same, for directing balls subsequently propelledby said propelling means onto said playing surface into the other ofsaid playing areas; and means for resetting said second-named means intoits initial position including a member arranged below said playingsurface for temporarily retaining therein balls which enter into saidball exit openings.

7. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a memberproviding a ballplaying surface; a ball runway or ramp in said cabinetfor conducting balls onto said playing surface; an operating mechanismin said cabinet including a member movably mounted upon said playingsurface; and means including a device automatically actuated by ballsentering onto said playing surface from said ball ramp or runway, aftera predetermined number of balls have entered onto said playing surfacefrom said ramp, for actuating said second-named member.

HERBERT MCCLELLAN.

